WayPaving
by Nix Entente
Summary: The Sheikah have always protected the royal families.


Author's Note: Dude. I wrote this ages ago, but I didn't put it up because I thought it needed improvement. But, the more I read over it, the more I like it. XP So, here you go. It's crap, but whatever. Yes, Sheik is the awesome socks.This came about because I always wondered about how Sheik rescued Ruto. She tells Link to thank him for saving her, and I just wondered about the process. Ending sucks.

Title: Way-Paving

Summary: The Sheikah have always protected the royal families.

Rating: K. Nothing bad. Only awesome Sheikness.

Soundtrack: None, baby.

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A sliver of light shimmered through the walls. It seemed that the space was constructed of mirrors and not ice, distorting the actual dimensions of the room. Sheik stretched out his arms and slowly edged forward until his fingertips touched the opposite wall. The frosted chambered seemed, to the best of his judgment, to be about the size of a pond, which was probably fitting. It must have been difficult to transport all the Zora to this room, even with guards. He could only imagine what a nightmare it must have been for the aquatic people, with their moist smooth skin. Even with a wool cloak wrapped around his shoulders, his body was rapidly growing stiff with cold.

Sheik roughly rubbed his thin fingers together to maintain sensation as he looked down at the floor. The sight might have been horrific had he not prepared himself beforehand. Hundreds of Zora were suspended in the ice, webbed hands clawing at the black net that had been used to restrain them. He had no concept of how deep the bodies were, nor did he care to have one; the only body he was concerned over was in his immediate line of sight. Princess Ruto was pressed against the imprisoning net, her eyes closed in what Sheik could only assume was resignation. He crouched low, resting his hands on the ice, covering Ruto's own. If Ganondorf could melt and re-freeze this much water for his own selfish ends, Sheik figured he could melt enough water to save one Zora for the good of the world.

Resting on his knees, Sheik closed his eyes and held his hands close to him. There was a magic that he knew from before he could remember. As a matter of fact, there were many different forms of magic that came to him instinctively. Impa simply told him that they were a result of the time he had spent training before he lost his memory. They were frequently spells that called on a store of energy deep within his mind, somewhere that could not be reached physically. Very little could stop one of these spells from being unleashed.

One was growing in his hands now. Heat spread from his palm, wrapping around his hands and glowing a deep red. Sheik pressed the warmth against the icy floor, leaning his entire weight onto his arms. The surface sucked up the energy, leaving none to warm the rest of the room. For a moment, he could sense the ice liquefying, melting beneath the magic. He smiled. It was working.

Abruptly, the fire was gone. Sheik's hands slipped on the wet ice, and he fell on his face, cold water soaking into the front of his tunic. A curse echoed off the walls as he pushed himself back into a kneeling position. He wiped his hands as dry as he could on his cloak and summoned the spell again. Obviously, the last effort was too weak. So, he pulled the energy from deeper, and he pulled the energy stronger, until the flames pulsed in his hands.

Again, Sheik pushed his hands against the ice, forcing the spell into the solid water. This time, he held it, and a shallow puddle spread all around him. The still-frigid liquid pooled over his hands, seeping into his boots and the jean fabric of his pants. Squeezing his eyes closed, Sheik purposefully shut out the rest of his body. All his thoughts gathered about the heat that throbbed from his palms. The shallow puddle was quickly deepening, and water sloshed halfway up his forearms before he felt the harsh grate of ropes against his skin.

He pulled back. The net was now bare. Not bothering to stand, he scooted away from the spot on which he'd been kneeling. The ice above the net had melted in the area he had concentrated on, and it seemed that he would be able to free the princess easily with the hole he had created.

Because of the fire, Sheik's hands were not as rigid as his legs, and he tugged a knife from the sheathe at his ankle. The water was still chilled, and it bit at exposed skin as he reached in to dig the blade under the net. The rope was brittle and cut easily, but he worked uneasily; besides the fact that his joints were growing tense again, Ruto's skin was not far below the net. It would not be wise to simply rip up the device haphazardly.

It took several minutes to open the meshed fabric, and branches of ice had begun to weave back into the melted water by the time he was done. Sheik wiped his running nose, but the combination of ice and the gauze around his fingertips almost made him wish he had just left it alone. So, he simply sniffed and dropped back into his created hole. It was harder to call up one last burst of flame. He was wet; his lungs were tight; his lips were dry; and the room was freezing. All of these factors nagged at him to leave, and made it somewhat strenuous to grasp the magic again.

Finally, the skin around his fingers began to tingle, then thrum with fire. This time, he could not shove the blaze into the ice. Carefully, surgically, his hands reached out to dissolve the encasement that surrounded Ruto proximately.

With the net torn away and the ice melted, Sheik plunged his arms into the veritable bath he had managed to create, cautiously wrapping them around the princess. He stood somewhat awkwardly, Ruto's dead weight and the slick ground throwing him off balance. Chivalry insisted that he take off his cloak and wrap it around her; but, that made no practical sense, as she wouldn't be able to tell the difference for several hours and he still needed it terribly.

He carried Ruto out of Zoras' domain, where the waters were far too cold to be of any use, all the way to Hyrule River. Despite the winter that was forced upon the Zoras, the river still ran with its natural summer warmth. There was one tree-sheltered area where he knew they were unlikely to be observed. As he lowered her into the water and held her suspended in the rush, he too unthawed, for which he was more than grateful. His nose was still clogged, and his eyes itched, but it was alright now that he could move freely.

When she finally regained consciousness, Ruto was reasonably disoriented. Sheik actually ended up with a gash on his arm from her fins. She splashed and struggled for a good bit of time before he could finally calm her down. She wanted to know everything: how long she had been frozen, how he knew where they were, why hadn't he saved the others, where was the Hero. Very few of the answers he offered were very pleasing to her, especially those regarding her fellows.

Ruto sat now in the shallow water, knees pulled up to her chest, blue eyes troubled. She looked up at Sheik, who sat on the bank. " What now, then?"

He pressed his lips together, toying with a small branch. " I don't know how soon I'll be able to lead the Hero to Hylia. You ought to rest while you can. Once he reaches you, the battle will probably be close, and there will be little time to waste then."

" It's that close, is it?" She asked, barely masking her dismay.

He nodded. " I wish I could be of more help to you, but there's so much to be done."

" No," Ruto rested her hand on the grass, " I understand. I'll do what I can."

" I hope we find a way to release the others soon."

" So do I...thank you."

Sheik met her eyes with surprise. Her reaction was very honest, and something in him was struck by her thanks. It was discomforting. He cleared his throat. " You're welcome."


End file.
